Brickmaking machine and process



w. L, WAKEFIIELD,

BRICKMAKING MACHINE AND PROCESS. APPLICATION map MAIL s1'."|92o.

Patented Mai 7, 1922.

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W. L. WAKEFIELD.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 2- I I l I Q I I 6 N I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I )1 I I I I I I I I t l I l I I l I I I I I W L- WAKEFIELD.. BRICKMAKING MACHINE AND PROCESS. APPLICATION FILED MAR.3I, 1920.

1,408,550. Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

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70 O 69 O 72 f 0 76 i 3 o o D O o f w. L. WAKEFIELD.

BRICKMAKING MACHINE AND PROCESS.

APPLICATlON FILED MAIL 31. 1920.

1,408,550. Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

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I w: L. WAKEFIELD. BRICKMAKING MACHINE AND PROCESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1920.

8,55 Patenm 31511111922. v

8 SHEETS SHEET 6- W, LA WAKEFIELD.

BRICKMAKING MACHINE AND PROCESS.

APFLICATEON FILED MAR. 31. 1920 4 Patented Mar. 7,1922.

8 SHLHS-SHEETZ 7. a

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v APPLICATlOW FILED MAR. 31, I920. 1,408,550. awnted Mm: 7,1922.

8 SHEETSSHEET 8- )VIIiLIAlrhi'. WAEZEFIZLEZJ :emcnrcamne mac" To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that l. \VILLIAM L. ll Ann- FIELD, a citizen of the United States. 1? .iding at Canton, in the county of Stark and. State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Brickmaking Machines and rocesses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in brick-making machines. The ;primary object ofmy invention is to provide a rotary machine capable of turning out a maximum quantity of stiif plastic bricks, free of lamination, and formed under a pressure sufficient to p ro- (uce a high-grade brick. A further object of the invention is to produce a machine of this character which may be easily adjusted to form bricks of all common sizes varying from flat tile to paving bricks. A further object of the invention is to provide means by which the compression or the pressure used in forming'the bricks may be varied independently of the size of the brick ormed.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which 1- j I Fig. 1 is a side elevationof a double rotary machine constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section through one of the drums of the machine. taken substantially F ig. 4 is an enlarged section through the central portion of the brick-forming drums and through the feed hoppentaken on the line 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is an enlarged section taken on the line 6 of Fig. 3; Fig.7'is a section taken on the line 7 of Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is an enlarged section taken on the line 8 'of Fig. 4, and showing the adjusting 'means for the pressure wheels; Fig. 9 is a detailed f Section of the end of the pressure-wheel supporting armptaken on the line 90f Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the pressure wheel shown in Fig. 8, showing the method in which the quadrant bars are attached to the pressure-wheel supporting-arm; Fig. 11 is a section through the brick-formingdrum taken on the line 11 of Fig. 8; Fig. 12 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the inside face of one of the drum wheels; Fig. 13

Specification of Letters and having its suitable means,

I ordinary form. on the hne 3 of Fig. 6;.

dial, ribs .iBW of one of y 141-. is a or one of the spac-- rposed between the similar perspective ition plates which r into two parts, and

Elar perspe mg sectors wh piungers; F

lii'is view of one the divides the brie. -pocl Fig. 16 is an enlar ed perspective view of the end of the brick rining plunger showings pair of dieplates fastened thereto for forming lugs upon the inner faces of the bricks.

For mounting my machine I provide a suitable frame 20 elevated above the ground supporting structure properly braced, as shown in the drawings. Suitable columns mounted on this frame carry above the same a hopper 21 to which the properly tempered is supplied by any and which serves tea reservior the supplying the machine. The hopper 21 discharges at its lower end into a feed-hon 522 and in order kept constantly filled and the clay therein under sufficient pressure to flow into the brickforming molds, or pockets, it provide a pair of deeply-grooved feeding cylinders 23, best shown in Fig. which are mounted upon parallel horizontal shafts 23 and 24 which are geared together at the, back, as shown in Fig. 2, and the formerof which is driven as by a belt 525 from a main driving shaft 26 mounted transversely of the frame and controllable asthrough a.clutch 27 of A pair of opposed rotary drums 28 are journalcd upon stationary shafts mounted horizontally in the frame and keyed to pillon hloclts 30, which may be tied together as by a tic-rod 30"; The drums are geared together as by ringgears 31 which are designed to be constantly driven from a pinion on the driving shaft 26, as shown inl ig. 2. Eachof the drums 28 is made up of a pair of spaced wheels 32 journaled to turn freely on the shaft 29, as shown in Fig. 6. The opposing inner faces of each pair of the wheels 32 is formed as shown in Fig. having an annular rib 33 from which lead outwardly parallelwalled radial grow/es which are spaced apart to leave alternate arallel-sided. ra-

the ribs beingof slightly thanthe grooves For socuring the wheels 32 in proper spaced'relation, as shown in Fig. 3, ll provide a plurality of spacer blocks of the form shown in greater width that'the feed-box may be the ,frame carries a small platform 73 on which is mounted a pair of, scraper-knives 74 which are adapted to contact with the surfaces of the drums to scrape from the same anyexcess of clay which may be adhering thereto. The knives 74 are mounted in carriers of the form shown in Fig. 4, which are pivoted upon rock-shafts 75 and held in proper adjusted position by means of upper and lower set screws 76. The operation of my machine is as follows:

The hopper 21 will be filled with a mass of stiff plastic clay, and the drive shaft 26 being operated from any suitable power source and the clutch 27 thrown intoengagement, the feeding cylinders 23 will turn in the direction indicated by the arrows the drums 28, each pocket being determined by the posi-' in Fig. 4 to force the clay downwardly from the hopper into the feed-box 22, and to maintain the plastic mass under considerable pressurefwithin this box. By means of this ressure the clay within the feed-box will be orced into the brick-forming pockets s of the'amount of clay entering as determined by tions of the plungers 43,

quadrant 62. It

the position of the gauge should be noted that in addition to the pressure exerted by the feed wheels 23 the COH1- lete filling of the pockets 42 will be assisted y the movements of the drums themselves, these members exerting a wedging and forcing action upon the mass of clay as they approach the point'of contact, as shown in Fig. 4. As each plunger 43 approaches the horizontal position, as-viewed in Fig. 4, its rear rounded edge 47 will contact with the I periphery of the pressure wheels 67 and by the continued movementof the plunger, it will be forcibly driven outward, thereby compressing the mass of clay within the pocket 42 against the face of thespacer block 36 of the oppositedrum, the drums being so geared together as to cause each spacer block of one drum to roll against the pocket of the opposite drum. 'It should further be noted thatthe peripheral width of the spacer block is slightly greater thanthe widthof the pocket, in order to provide the necessary overlap of the pressure surface and prevent the clay from'fiowing outwardly under the very high pressure imposed by the pressure wheels 67. and plunger-s 43. By the action just described each plunger 4-3 will operate Almost immediately after the pockets have passed this horizontal or brick-forming position, the plungers 43 Wlll ride ofl of the lower periphery of the pressure wheels 67,

and by the action of the compression springs 49 will be forcibly withdrawn to their extreme inward position, leaving the finished or measure the quantity of clay .each pocket.

drawings, in the outer end of the pocket.

This return of the plungers, after they have formed the bricks, I regard as an important feature of my invention in that by this means any vacuum seal which may have been formed by expressing the air between the plunger and the brick in the high compression to which the brick was subjected, will be broken, whereby in the later ejecting action of the plungers the bricks will, drop freely therefrom instead of adhering" thereto as has been found to be the case where adequate means was not provided for breaking this vacuum seal.

By the continued operation of the drums- 28, the pockets bearing the ed bricks will. be brought in contact with the scraping knives 74, which are so adjusted as to lie flush with the surface of the drum,

The plunger-s having been forced to their full outward positions by means of the pressure of the ejector wheels 70, will be main tained in this outer position with their forward ends flush with the surface of the drum by means of the sanding quadrant 72. As the drumsurface passes under the sandbox 73, the dry sand contained in the latter will scour the surfaces of the spacer-blocks 36 and plungers 43 of any adhering traces of clay, whereby these surfaces will be dried and polished ready'for their next brickforming operation. After passing the sandboxes 73, the plunger-s 43 will ride off of the upper end of the sanding quadrant 72 and return to their normal or inward position in which they will remain until they strike the cam edge of the gauge quadrants-62. By means of these quadrants they Will be forced outward to their proper gauged positions and maintained there during their movements across the feed-box 22 to gauge entering previously-formadhere to the surfaces of the oven or to a burning kiln, as may be desired.

By reason of the fact that the gauge quadrantGQ and pressure wheels 67 are independently adjustable, it is possible to vary independently the size of the finished brick and the compression which has been applied to that brick. Since the pressure wheels 67 determine the outward position of the plungers 43, it will be seen that it is possible to and having" contact wit pecan so pockets are adapted been filled from the surewheel mounted withir the said drum opposite the said mime; suri'ace, said pressure Wheel. bein adapted to roil agams the inner ends of the said plunger-s to force the same outwardly dependent means for effecting a .1. ad ustment of said pressure wheel.

2. In combination, a s hollow rotatable drum journaied thereon, briclt-formingpoclrets carried by the pe riphery of the said drum, a teed-box mount" ed in operative relation to the said pockets and adapted to feed plastic material thereto, radial plungcrs slidal'ile w thin the said pockets, said piun; mg their inner ends projecting the inner surface of the said drum a p ir of stationary radial arms carried by the said stationary shaft, one of said be adjustable in iength, a gauge a re sup iorted by the said arm 7 ii the inner enelsoi' the said plungers appear? the feed-be}: to gauge the position of the plunger-s during their passage therethrou gh, means for adjusting said gauge radially upon said arm, an abutment surface against which said pockets are adapted to roil after they have been filled from the said l eedbon, said abutment surface lyi opposite said adjustable arm, and sure Wheel carried in the outer end of r ustable arm and ada ted to force hit} said piungers out wariiiy towards the said abutment surface.

3. In combination, a. r iry shaf a hollow rotate t tionarv shaft, a

pre.

plun pockets, said plungers a' movements, a r; upon the said said drum, 2 We arms of i and "Fr contain plastic material, a rotatable drum having brick-forming pockets in its periphcry, radially slidable plungers operatingv Within the said pockets, an-abutment surface against which the adapted to roll after having been filled from the said feedbox, means for forcing the said plunger-s outward as they pass the said abutment surface, wherebythe plastic material vithin the pockets is io. biywithdrawing the said plungers from the iormed brick in the outer ends of the said pockets, whereby'the vacuum seal be tween the ends of the plungers and the faces the bricks is broken, and means for again forcing the said plungers outwardly to eject the said bricks from their pockets.

5. A brick-forming drum comprising in con'ibination a pair of spaced concentric disks, radial spacer blocks extending, between the opposed innerfaces of the said disks and flush with their peripheries, said spacer-blocks being spaced apart around the circumference of the disks, whereby there is formed a plurality of radially extending its, radial partition members dividing aid pockets, and radial plungers mountwen adjacent spacer-bloclrs and havi outer ends slotted to receive the llOl'l members.

'11. bricleforming drum comprising a pair oi spaced concentric wheels, spacerhlocks extending between the said wheels and flush. with their outer surfaces, said spacer-blocks being separated to form radial pockets, partition plates dividing the outer of the said pockets, said partition plates lying in radial planes, a plun er slidable in each radial pocket and having its outer end siotted radially to receirea partition plate, compression springs mounted between the inner edges of said partition plates and the inner ends of said plungers, and means for limiting the inward movement of said plungers. v

A. brickiorniing machine comprising a e surfa e provided with brick-form pockets, means for feeding plastic mal ereto, plungers slidable within said an abutment surface adapted to H with said movable surface after said have been filled. means for forcing A U1 ers outward as they pass the abub 1 surface, thereby said pockets are compressing the pies-i530 

